


vulpine vexed

by orca_mandaeru



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Fluff, Gumiho Wooyoung, M/M, Witch San
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-10-31 10:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17847347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orca_mandaeru/pseuds/orca_mandaeru
Summary: san suddenly aquires a magical fox boy





	vulpine vexed

**Author's Note:**

> i seriously couldn't get wooyoung as a fox out of my head

The first time San notices it, he doesn't think much of it. Some dirt around his flowers has been kicked up, a few leaves crumpled like an inquisitive nose had been sniffing at it. San huffs in annoyance but quickly casts a simple barrier spell around the garden, going back inside and letting the incident pass from his mind. Regular animals tend to stay away from his property, wary of the scent of magic clinging to everything. But occasionally he'll get a bold deer or badger nosing around, so it’s not impossible.   
  


The next time is weirder. He goes out to pick some fresh petals for a little something he's cooking up for Hongjoong's persistent spirit problem, and stops right in his tracks when he sees the garden. The neat rows and dirt trenches are completely churned up, whole plants dug out by their roots. At least five full foxglove plants are gone, dirt trailed all around. San stands with his mouth gaping open for a few seconds, sighing hard and crouching down to trail his fingertips over a torn petal. It's painful to see beautiful plants treated so roughly, but what he really wants to see is what did this. The border he had set up before would keep all normal animals out, so it has to be something with magic in them.    
  


Pulling from deep inside of him, he draws his finger through the air, a coil of shimmering thin rope falling into his hands. He packs the loose dirt carefully back into their mounds and trenches, steadying broken stems. Then he drapes the rope around two mounds and the remaining flowers, passing a hand over it and relaying his intention of snaring. It shimmers one more time before turning fully transparent, blending into the dirt. Finally he gathers the couple petals he needs and trudges back inside his little cottage, shooting one last glance at his ruined garden. He'll have to get new seeds from Seonghwa sooner than expected.    
  


For two days, it's all quiet. Then he's woken up at an early hour with unholy screeching and barking. Stumbling outside and still blinking sleep out of his eyes, he peers out his window and squints outside. At first all he can see is a mass of writhing silver fur. He blinks and there's a human man in its place, falling back into the dirt and grappling with the invisible rope around his leg, multiple tails still whipping around his figure. A gumiho. Figures. 

 

He opens the door and the gumiho's head shoots up, making eye contact before scrambling backwards. 

 

"Stop struggling so much, it's not going to hurt you!" San calls out, getting closer. The boy ignores him, wrestling harder with the rope. San rushes forward and grabs his wrist, tapping the rope with his other hand and dissolving it. Another pop and he's holding a large white fox, tails whipping him in the face as he leans away. "Calm down," San grits out, walking backward into the cottage as he avoids the fox's snapping teeth.

 

He closes the door and loosens his arms, the fox immediately calming down once it's free, tails still swishing and expression as sulky as a fox's face could get. San wags a finger in his face. "Shift back so we can have a proper conversation." That gets him a slightly incredulous look on the pointed face. 

 

Fumbling behind him while he keeps his eyes trained on the gumiho, San grabs something and holds it out in front of him. It's hilarious how fast the fox's demeanor changes from haughty to enraptured, nose twitching as he stares up at the fresh grapes. 

 

"You want them?" San goads, dangling them a little closer. "I’ll give them to you if you shift." 

 

The fox pads around in a circle uncertainly before, with no warning, there's a hand closing around San's wrist and teeth around the grapes in his hand, warm lips enclosing his fingers. Their eyes meet inches apart and San stares captivated into those bright brown eyes. They stay there for a beat too long, and he notices for the first time the little fangs the gumiho has, even in human form. 

 

The fox pulls away, slurping up the fruit, large bushy tails covering his naked body. San catches his breath, admiring the slight lavender tint to the white fur. Remembering the point of all this, San gestures to the kitchen table. "Sit down, I want to talk to you." The gumiho is wary but totally unafraid, maintaining bold eye contact as he sits down, licking juice off of his fingers. "What's your name?" San asks, before wondering if the other can speak at all. Even with a full nine tails, he seems young, much more fox than human. Finished, the gumiho leans back in his chair, eyes roving over the cottage before speaking in a voice hoarse from unuse. "The old lady called me Wooyoung." 

 

Oh, that makes sense. Gumiho are exceedingly rare nowadays, magic and foxes dwindling steadily since ancient times. If an older witch took in a fox and kept it as a pet for a few centuries, it would explain it, especially why this one seemed so young and inexperienced. San mirrors the other and leans back, crossing his arms. "Are you the one who ruined my garden?" 

 

"Yeah," says wooyoung cooly, though one of his tails is twitching nervously. San pouts just a bit for effect. 

 

"Stealing is wrong, you know. I worked hard to grow those. " Wooyoung slides a few more inches down the chair, like he wants to slip away. 

 

"Why shouldn’t I?' 

 

San blinks in at the simple question. "Why? Because all you had to do was ask if you wanted some. I would've given them to you." 

 

Wooyoung sits back up a bit, cocking his head to the side. "Really?" 

 

San nods, smiling. "I have plenty extra. And how are you getting food?” 

 

Wooyoung shrugs. "There's farms around here." 

 

San sighs exaggeratedly. “No more stealing. I can give you food. but if you mess up my garden again, I'm putting up a proper barrier and you're not getting anything, got it? And we'll have to get you some clothes." 

 

Wooyoung sits there for a little bit, just looking at him. San takes the time to admire the gumiho a bit more. He's beautiful in a way that's accentuated by magic, features both delicate and strong, but the minute expressions his face twists into while thinking are raw and unaffected. All his tails swirl slowly in a cloud around him as he speaks up. "What do I have to do in return?" 

 

San smiles and his nose scrunches up. "What did you have to do for the old lady?" 

 

Wooyoung shrugs. “Slept and ran around, mostly. I don't really remember." 

 

San laughs. "You can do that if you want to. I don't need anything." He’s not going to admit yet how pathetically lonely he’s been lately.

 

Wooyoung squints, bouncing his leg harder and rubbing his palms on his thighs. "I'll consider it," he says, eyes glued to the door. San blinks and Wooyoung is out of the house in a blur of white fur, door clattering shut behind him. San blinks again and looks away, sighing and settling his chin on his hand. He's already captivated, but wild foxes hate to be tied down. 

 

Again, there's radio silence for days. San's set up outside, sitting with his legs open, a little hot plate and pot of bubbling water between them. He hums under his breath and leans to the side to rustle through his little piles of ingredients. When he turns back he sees the white fox sitting serenely a few feet away, tails curled around his feet. 

 

"Hey there," San smiles, stirring the dried herbs in. Wooyoung seems a lot calmer in animal form, creeping closer with head to the ground. “Oh!" San remembers, turning back around. He offers a cherry out by the stem, raising an eyebrow. Wooyoung creeps closer, teeth gently closer over the fruit and swallowing it whole. San giggles and retrieves another one, holding it over Wooyoung's open mouth and dropping it in. They go through three more before San remembers his potion, gasping and lifting the pot off. "Damn, I think I burned it.” 

 

Wooyoung steps forward curiously, sniffing at the pot. He cocks his head, ears twitching. 

 

"You wanna know what this is?" The gumiho nods. "I'm making a simple protection potion for my friend Yeosang." He gestures to the ingredients. "Most of these don't do anything on their own, but when you add some of your own magic in the mix, you get a potion." He slowly drags his hand over the top of the water, and it shimmers and bubbles one last time, turning a delicate shade of blue. 

 

He looks back over at the fox. "You don't know much about magic, do you?" Wooyoung shakes his head, eyes shining in wonder as he stares in the blue liquid. "I can teach you some things if you want. Gumihos usually are quite powerful, you have the ability. Just come and watch me." Still in fox form, Wooyoung lays down, head settled between two paws on the ground. 

 

San happily rambles away the time, introducing every ingredient, its source, function and how it works all together. He never gets a chance to talk about the magic he loves like this, seeing as none of his friends have any talent with natural magic like he does. 

 

As he starts winding down the sun is low in the sky and the bugs are starting to come out, so he packs up and sets the cover on the pot to cool. When he looks back up Wooyoung is walking away from him primly, beautiful tails shimmering with the light of the dying sun. "Bye!" San waves, and the gumiho turns to glance at him before disappearing into the edge of the forest. 

 

The next day San finds something to do and sits outside again, trying not to raise his hopes too much. But sure enough there's rustling and then Wooyoung lying comfortably sprawled in the grass beside him, in human form this time, looking between him and the pot expectantly. 

  
***

A couple months later, and Wooyoung is sprawled loose-limbed across San's kitchen floor, chattering away about this nice forest spirit he met. San hums along, scribbling out his shopping list for Seonghwa to send out. Without warning the door bursts open. It's Hongjoong, parading in and pulling San into a hug. "San, I haven't' seen you in forever, what have you been doing in here-" His eyes meet Wooyoung's, who is sitting up with ruffled tail fur like bottlebrushes. 

 

Hongjoong slowly removes his arms from around San. "A gumiho, huh? Haven't seen one around in a while. Is he bothering you?" 

 

San laughs and shakes his head. "No! Wooyoung's my friend," he says, reaching out to rub over Wooyoung’s shoulder, clad in one of San’s old shirts. He's stiff, tight-lipped like he hasn't been since the first week they met. 

 

San quickly hugs back and uses it to gently push Hongjoong back towards the door. “Hey, why’re you kicking me out?” he complains, but goes easily. 

 

“Just warn me next time, please. I’ll come over in a couple days.”

 

Hongjoong clings to the doorframe for a second. “I’ll hold you to that!” 

 

The door clicks shut behind him. San shrugs and turns to Wooyoung to add something, but there's a furrowed brow and frown on his face. San scoots over and pokes Wooyoung's shoulder. “Hey, what's up?" 

 

"Nothing," he brushes off. 

 

A grin grows across San's face. "Are you jealous?"

 

“No!" Wooyoung whines standing up. 

 

San wiggles his finger in front of Wooyoung's face and singsongs "Don't worry, you're still my favorite!" 

 

Wooyoung closes his teeth around San's finger, not enough to hurt but enough to feel his fangs. They both start laughing uncontrollably at the same time. It's beautiful to see that smile spread across Wooyoung's face again. Once they stop there's a weird inbetween silence, staring at each other with a slight flush on their faces. 

 

"I'm not..." Wooyoung starts, leaning a little closer. San breathes in hard. Wooyoung shakes his head a bit and blinks, then he's gone in a flash, replaced by the afterimage of his purple tail tips as the door bangs behind him. 

 

San sighs and sits back down, staring at the door. It seems like you can take the boy out of the fox form but you can't take a wild fox out of the boy, even a magical one. 

***

The next day, San walks into his kitchen for his coffee and finds Wooyoung sprawled out on his table, staring at nothing. He slides off when San comes in, swishing his tails back and forth, hands folded. 

 

San walks up right close, reaching out to fold his hands over his. Wooyoung looks up. "San, I-" 

 

"Just kiss me, you stupid fox," he laughs. Wooyoung closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and then leans in, meeting him in a soft closed kiss. 

 

San smiles and pulls back. "Is this what you were so nervous about? When will you learn that you only have to ask-" 

 

Wooyoung growls in annoyance and kisses him again, harder this time, the sharp edge of his fangs nicking his lip. San gets lost in it, barely noticing the soft brush of Wooyoung's tails encircling and protecting them.

**Author's Note:**

> i feel like this is a little rushed but woosan nation needs more content asap


End file.
